Take Me Home
by thesecondmouse
Summary: When Tessa's friends drag her to a club, she's already uncomfortable. When they tell her that her job for the night is to pick up a guy, she's mortified. But when her roommate's brother strikes up a conversation, Tessa sees a chance to have fun and to shock her roommates in the process. These are the adventures of two strangers making the most of a night in each other's company.
1. Chapter 1

"No." Tessa eyed the dress laid out on her bed with distaste.

"Cecily, I can't wear this. This isn't a dress. This is barely long enough to be a shirt!"

Cecily's eyes gleamed mischievously from where she reclined on the bed.

"Why of course you can," Cecily said, her sweet tone contrasting her devilish look. "Think of all the eyes you'll draw tonight. You, my dear, have been moping for entirely too long. Maybe I can't fix all of your problems but I can make sure you have one night that you will not forget."

Tessa appraised her friend and new that Cecily only wanted the best for her. She sighed, grabbed the dress by the edge and dragged it behind her to the bathroom to change.

Studying herself in the mirror, Tessa permitted a small smile to escape. She would draw attention in this dress. She had never been very pretty but she was grateful that her limbs, which had one been lanky, now seemed willowy and her brown hair had calmed from the unconquerable frizziness of her youth to a soft, manageable curl. She was not extraordinary, but on the whole, Tessa was perfectly satisfied with her reflection.

Tessa returned to her room to find Cecily picking out a necklace from Tessa's collection with the help of their other roommate, Sophie. Tessa was glad to see Sophie dressed similarly to herself. Tessa took comfort from the fact that hers was not the only dress that made her blush, and in the fact that with her roommates dressed like that no one would be looking at her.

Tessa smiled at her friends. She knew that she had been moping more than was good for her recently. After a failed relationship compounded on family drama, Tessa withdrew from everything for a while, barely dragging herself to classes let alone to clubs. Her roommates had decided it was high time that Tessa had some fun whether she wanted to or not, and she had been warned that she had no say in the night's events.

"Alright, I'm ready," Tessa announced her presence to the other girls.

Both looked over and gave nods of approval, and then smiled conspiratorially at one another. Once they had finished the final touches of makeup and accessories, Cecily and Sophie decided it was time to go. Tessa heaved a sigh as she tried to walk in the shoes that Cecily had set out for her. They were strappy and black, and had a heel that made Tessa fear for her life. She started to object but Cecily looked over and shook her head without saying a word.

The girls made it to the club by 11:00. The large repurposed factory in the heart of the old industrial area pulsed with music as they approached. Tessa smiled in spite of herself. The excitement of the night was catching. As they waited in line to get in, Sophie took Tessa's arm.

"In the interest of full disclosure, there are a few parts of our plan for this evening that we've been keeping from you, "Sophie looked almost guilty as she half shouted at Tessa over the pounding bass. "There is no way you would have agreed to this if you had known. Please remember that you did agree and to at least try to play along. It's only for tonight."

The sweat on Tessa's palms returned as she listened mutely to this new development.

"Firstly, you will drink. We're not saying you have to get smashed but the object of this exercise is to lighten up for a night and a rum and coke goes a long way for that. Our treat."

Tessa nodded. That wasn't a problem. She enjoyed a drink now and again and had been planning on it anyway.

"Secondly, you will dance with a boy."

At that, Tessa looked much more nervous. She wasn't very fond of dancing but had come around to the thought of a couple of dances with her friends. But with a stranger? It seemed like it would be too awkward.

"Thirdly, you're going to have a good time with this boy. He doesn't have to be your soul mate. He's just a bit of fun for one night. Dance. Laugh. Get him to buy you a drink."

"Take him home," Cecily chimed in, wagging her eyebrows.

Tessa looked positively horrified. Sophie smacked Cecily on the shoulder and turned back to Tessa.

"You don't need to go that far," she said, shooting Cecily a dirty look. "But we want you to have fun. Be a carefree college student for one night. Do something that's not like you. You might surprise yourself; you might even have a little fun."

Though her cheeks were still red from Cecily's suggestion, Tessa nodded. She could have fun. She could try, at the very least. At last the girls made it through the door and into the club, where lights bounced off the walls and holding a conversation became nearly impossible. Tessa scanned the crowd. Already taller than average, the ridiculous heels Cecily had made her wear gave Tessa a good view over the heads of the other patrons. The bodies pressed closely together on the hot, sticky dance floor looked extremely unappealing in her present state of sobriety, so Tessa dragged her friends to the bar.

They ordered their drinks and moved out of the way of the crowd who were jostling behind them, trying to refresh their drinks. The three girls sipped in silence for a while, not bothering to try to start up a conversation over the music that filled every corner of the large, open room. It wasn't long before they caught the attention of some guys who had been trying to get the bartender's attention.

The boys wasted so little time in flirting that Tessa couldn't help but roll her eyes at Sophie when they had their backs to her. Sophie giggled. The two boys were brothers, as it turned out. Tessa couldn't see the resemblance at first; the older of the two was of average height at most, but broad with solid features and neatly cut brown hair. The younger was tall and blonde, with a much rounder face. They took to Sophie and Cecily quickly, and Tessa found herself a fifth wheel within minutes of their entering the club. She tugged the hem of her dress down, then crossed her arms over her chest looking longingly toward the exit. Looking back toward her roommates, Tessa felt a knot in her stomach loosen.

 _You know what? Fine. If they can do it so can it. It will be fun._ Tessa gave herself a mental pep talk. Before she could chicken out, she motioned to Sophie that she was going back toward the dancefloor. Sophie grinned and gave her a thumbs up before returning to her partner, the older brother.

Tessa left the comfort of her friends and merged into the crowd.

Will paid the bartender and moved aside to wait for Jem. He leaned against the glowing bar and appraised the club. It was, as usual, a mess of limbs that was far too warm for anyone to actually be having a good time, but it was Henry's birthday and he had wanted to come. He had been surprised; Henry, his friend, the brilliant inventor with the unfortunate habit of setting himself on fire, was not exactly your typical club-goer. But it was his birthday, and Will and Jem were prepared to follow where Henry led if for no other reason than to make sure he didn't set someone _else_ on fire for a change.

Will's dress shirt and dark jeans were starting to cling uncomfortably to his skin in the heat. He noticed Jem moving toward him, also subtly pulling at his shirt trying to get some air between himself and the fabric. Will shot him a look of sympathy. If Will was not much one for going clubbing, that was doubly true for his friend. Jem's idea of a good night was him and Will, Henry and his girlfriend Charlotte and board games, finished off with him playing violin. In comparison, the harsh music of the club and the oppressive heat of the crammed bodies was an assault on the senses. Jem was far top nice to say anything, lest he make Henry feel bad, but Will could see the longing to be elsewhere rolling off him. Henry wouldn't notice. Henry rarely noticed anything, so Will shrugged and let his friend bear it silently.

He went back to people watching. It was a favourite hobby of Will's. People were much more interesting when they thought that no one was looking at them. His attention was first caught by the lifeless, faraway look in one guy's eyes as he danced with a girl whose face Will couldn't see. Will shifted uncomfortably and moved his gaze elsewhere. He found two figures he knew; the Lightwood boys were dancing with two girls, one tall with long brown hair and one who was short with jet black hair. Will squinted at the shorter girl through the haze of club and then sighed. Will often forgot that his little sister was old enough to be out playing after dark, let alone in a club dancing that close to Gabriel Lightwood, who Will made no secret about disliking. He moved to head over to them but was stopped by Jem's hand on his arm, gently shaking his head. Jem had followed Will's gaze.

"Let her be, Will. She's old enough to take care of herself, and she has Sophie with her. She doesn't need her brother right now."

Will leaned back against the bar, resigned. He let his eyes drift again, trying to take his mind off of his Cecily. His eyes rested on a girl who was standing alone at the edge of the dance floor. She had the most curious mixture of determination and terror in her face that Will couldn't help but smile. Will finished the last of his drink and placed it on the bar and wove his way through the bodies to the conflicted girl.

"You look really uncomfortable," Will said amiably, close to the girl's ear.

She jumped, and spun around to face him. She looked at him distrustfully, but Will saw wheels turning in her head. She looked away for a moment and seemed to grow more resolute. Will was intrigued.

"I am. Not really my scene," the girl admitted, gesturing around her.

"Why are you here then?" Will asked, half joking and half out of real interest.

"My friends dragged me here. Apparently, I had been moping too much and they are determined to make me enjoy myself." She rolled her eyes.

"So where are they now? It doesn't seem like good manners to drag a friend out of her element and then leave her to the mercy of strangers," Will grinned as the girl's brow furrowed slightly.

"Are we strangers?" she said quickly. "You look familiar."

The girl started to study his face, looking for a hint of recognition, but then looked away uncomfortably. Will felt his own face grow warm under her scrutiny, but chalked it up to the heat of the room.

"They're dancing with some boys we met at the bar a few minutes ago. I think they're scheming for to do the same; they're hoping I'll get bored and make new friends," she added, still not looking at him.

"Well then," Will said brightly, extending his hand. "My name's William Herondale, but everybody calls me Will. There. Now we're not strangers anymore."

Herondale.

Tessa's eyes shot up when her new companion said his name. _That's_ why she knew him. She could see it now; the same dark curls, pale skin and deep blue eyes that Tessa was trying very hard to avoid. Every time she looked at them her mind seemed to go blank. She shook herself slightly.

 _This was Cecily's brother._

He had nearly startled the life out of her, sneaking up behind her like that. She had been so focused on picking someone out of the crowd so that she could fulfill Cecily and Sophie's requirements, figuring that the sooner she did the sooner she could go home. But then, all of a sudden, there was this incredibly handsome boy claiming her attention. She almost resented him for taking her away from her goal, but she couldn't be annoyed with him for long.

Tessa had almost been considering asking him to dance.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Will asked apprehensively.

"Because my name is Tessa Gray. I'm your sister's roommate." Tessa almost wanted to laugh. Of everyone in the club, she had ended up talking to the brother of the root of all her problems.

" _You're_ Tessa!" Recognition sparked in his eyes, but he recovered quickly. "It's about time we met. I certainly hear enough about you."

Tessa laughed. "Oh, we hear a whole lot about you, too."

"All good things, I trust," Will said, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Mostly." Tessa smiled, recalling some of the stories Cecily had told them about her brother. She was still considering whether or not she had enough courage to ask him to dance. Cecily's brother or not, he was the kind of attractive that made a girl uncomfortable and Tessa wasn't sure she needed the extra level of stress.

"So it was my sister who dragged you here. I saw her earlier dancing with Gabriel Lightwood."

Tessa nodded.

"Cecily has always been the type to drag people where they don't want to be and convince them to do things they don't really want to do. I still haven't gotten back at her for all the times she made me go with her to the mall because she was too young to go alone," Will said, rolling his eyes.

Tessa had an idea. It would be far more uncomfortable than asking him to dance, but if it worked it would be far more rewarding. She decided she had to try.

"Will, I think I might know how you can get her back for that," Tessa said quickly, her eyes bright with mischief.

Will looked at her for a moment, then grinned. "I'm all ears."


	2. Chapter 2

"Cecily!" Tessa shouted to get the other girl's attention. Cecily, who had been dancing very closely with Gabriel Lightwood, took a short step backward putting some space between them. She blushed, and then grinned.

"Any luck Tessa?" Cecily laughed.

"Actually, yes," Tessa gave a small, excited smile. She kept telling herself to play it cool, and that if she wasn't careful Cecily would know.

Cecily's eyes widened and her grin grew.

"I took your advice. You thought I should go home with someone, so that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Cecily was dumbfounded.

"Tessa is that really a good-"

"It will be great. I'll see you tomorrow," Tessa cut her nervous friend off, laughing. She turned away and walked back over to Will, who put his arm around her giving Cecily just enough time to see who she was with an not enough time to do anything about it before Tessa and Will were making their way through the far edge of the crowd and out the door.

Will, somewhat reluctantly, removed his hand from Tessa's waist as they dissolved in laughter just outside the building. He pushed the hair off of his forehead, enjoying the cool night air and the comparative quiet of the street. He was also enjoying his company, whose gray eyes were shinning with amusement. He had to hand it to her, this was going to be hilarious the next day.

"Do you think she really bought it," Tessa asked, breathless from laughter.

Will grinned. "Of course. Did you see her face when she saw it was me? I wish I had a camera. It was priceless. That will teach her to put her scheming in where it's not wanted."

Will and Tessa walked quickly down the street, throwing glances over their shoulders to make sure Cecily and Sophie weren't behind them.

"Are you sure your friends won't mind?" Tessa asked, feeling a little bit guilty for stealing Will away from the others. But he had seemed so enthusiastic about the plan… Once she had brought it up, she had had to go through with it.

Will waved away her concerns. "I texted Jem. He said that Henry already wanted to go home and sleep, and Jem had already planned to stay over at his place tonight."

They turned onto a busy street, and Will gestured toward a bench. Tessa tried to pull down her skirt enough that she could sit. Will reddened and looked away before she could see, pretended to watch the people waiting at the light to cross.

 _I would put money on the fact that Cecily put her in that._

Will shuddered at the thought of his baby sister dressed similarly. It didn't look bad on Tessa. _Not at all_ , Will thought as his colour deepened further. But she looked so uncomfortable that he couldn't help being indignant on her behalf.

Will tried to tell himself that he was concerned about Tessa comfort because she was his sister's friend. He convinced himself that his face was still red from the heat of the club. It had nothing to do with the girl sitting next to him. He was Will Herondale. He didn't blush.

Tessa had leaned back and closed her eyes. Will was glad to see that she looked much more relaxed here than she had inside.

"So," he asked, breaking the silence while still focused on the street. "What happens now?"

Tessa sat up, looking slightly embarrassed. "I didn't actually plan that far ahead. I guess we both head home and lie low until morning. Though, come to think of it, our apartment isn't very big. I don't know if I could be home without Cecily knowing it and that would ruin the fun. But I can take care of that," she said, glancing at Will. "You're free to go home, and I'll see if I can crash with some other friends."

"Thank you for helping me," she said with a smile.

Will couldn't help but smile back at the gleam in Tessa's eyes. She rubbed her hands over her upper arms, trying to warm herself. The night had gotten cooler since they had arrived at the club. He mutely offered her the sweater he was carrying, trying to overcome the uncomfortable nervousness in his stomach. She accepted it gratefully, and it was all he could do not to laugh as she slipped it on; the sleeves came down to her fingertips and it was nearly as long as her dress.

"You're right; she'll notice if you go back. But I agreed to help with this so I'm in it for the night." He offered Tessa a smile, then jumped up off the bench. He extended his arm to her, inviting her to take it. She eyed him warily, but stood up and took it, smiling back.

"Right," he said. "First order of business. If we are to have a night of adventures, you are going to need to be properly dressed."

Tessa glanced down at the dress and nodded emphatically.

"So, first stop: your place," Will concluded.

Tessa opened her mouth to argue but Will cut her off.

"They won't be looking for you there yet. If anything, they'll go to my apartment first. Cecily knows where the spare key is and won't hesitate to use it. When they see that we're not there, then she'll go back home. We should have some time."

Tessa checked her phone to see 23 new messages. 21 of them were from Cecily, who was frantically trying to get Tessa to think about what she was doing. Tessa couldn't help but laugh. The other two were from Sophie.

 _Good choice._

 _Be safe._

She sighed, a tell-tale rosy tinge returning to her cheeks as it had many times that evening.

Will tried to covertly peer at the messages his sister had sent. He had felt his own phone buzzing near constantly since he had left the club, but decided not to ruin the experience by checking the messages.

"Alright. Our place first," Tessa conceded, both apprehensive and undeniably excited. "And then what?"

"And then," Will said, turning down the street with Tessa on his arm, "we go find an adventure."


	3. Chapter 3

Tessa turned her key in the lock apprehensively. She and Will had crept around back of the building to make sure the lights weren't on in the apartment, but she still worried that Sophie and Cecily would be home and ruin the fun. After poking her head around the door into the dark living room, Tessa opened it wide and entered with Will trailing behind her.

As she struggled out of her death-trap heels, Will had moved to the kitchen.

"Glasses are the cupboard on the left," she said, guessing his motives.

"I know," Will's voice drifted from the kitchen as she heard the faucet open.

 _Of course he would know. He's been here before._

The thought gave Tessa an odd feeling. It was strange to think of him, this beautiful boy she had dragged out of the club on a whim, sitting on the couch in their living room. She knew Cecily had a brother, of course, but she always seemed to miss him when he came to visit. She had met Ella, Will and Cecily's older sister, but never Will. Tessa was almost glad. It was far easier talking to him on the adrenaline of a stupid idea in the cover of a dark club than it was to hold a conversation with him in her own home.

Will appeared at the doorway holding his glass. It took Tessa a moment to form a coherent thought.

 _This is Cecily's BROTHER. Pull yourself together. He may be nice looking but all he is is a temporary partner in crime._

Tessa busied herself looking through the mail that had been discarded by the door. Will gave her an odd look.

"You might want something warmer than that," he said, gesturing at her attire with his glass. "It might be a long night." Something of a smile played on his lips. Tessa didn't think it was mocking. It was more… conspiratorial. She glanced down at her outfit and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't entirely squelch her embarrassment. She hurried to her room and grabbed a pair of comfortable jeans, a t-shirt, and a soft, thick sweater. After pulling her curled hair up into a ponytail, Tessa exchanged her clutch for a much more sensible bag, and threw in her wallet, keys and other essentials. After a moment's deliberation, she added a book. It was always worth having one around, she figured.

Will fidgeted uncomfortably on the couch. It didn't' feel right to be there without Cec. Especially with Tessa. He looked around the room like he hadn't really done before, seeing all of the little touches that made it look really lived in. There were books stacked on the shelf of the end table; Cecily wasn't much of a reader, he knew, so he figured they belonged to Sophie or Tessa. He hoped it was Tessa.

He then reminded himself that there was no reason that he should hope it was Tessa. It didn't matter what they had in common. They were working together for one night to teach his sister a lesson. He found himself wondering about her in the strangest way like he wanted to know about every insignificant facet of her life. Unable to keep from looking for her details in the house, Will sat with his eyes facing front.

Returning to the living room, Tessa felt awkward. Will was staring off into space. She cleared her throat. He stood up and was about to say something when Tessa heard voices in the hallway. She ran to the front door and pressed her ear to it.

"Cecily!" she stage whispered. She threw off the lights and was back across the room in a flash. She grabbed Will's hand and dragged him to her room. In no time, she was at her window.

"Fire escape," she hissed. Will helped her ease the window open as they hear Sophie and Cecily enter the front door. Tessa closed it behind them and started down the metal staircase that crisscrossed the back of the building. When they were three stories down, the light came on in Tessa's room. Will pressed himself and her against the wall of the building. Tessa couldn't help but feel his proximity. It was almost intoxicating.

 _People shouldn't be allowed to be this attractive. It's just not fair to the rest of us,_ Tessa thought.

Will was focused intently on her window. When the light went out again, Will seemed to realize where he was and took a quick step away, backing himself into a pole in the process. Tessa was thankful for the low lighting that made it hard for him to see her blush. She was a little put out with herself; she wasn't one who blushed often, but that night her face had been consistently red. At least, it had been since running into Will.

They continued down the fire escape in silence, until climbing onto the top of the building's garbage bin and from there down to the ground. Tessa let out a sigh of relief. Will just looked at her for a moment, then looked down the alley. He motioned to the street, and the two took off.


End file.
